"Mathematics of Love" is the title poem of a collection by John Edwin Cohen (1941-2012), published in 2011 by Anaphora Literary Press and presented here with press permission. Cohen has used mathematics playfully and does what a mathematician never dares to do, use a mathematical term with other than its precise meaning. Still, perhaps, even math folks may enjoy this application of geometric shape and poetic license!
Mathematics of Love by John Edwin Cohen
1.
Engine of joy
arithmetic and sincere
holding the hemisphere
and geometry of
youth
circles of air--
tangents to everywhere
landing in theory
and igniting the
body
integers of stars
like mirrors from mars
invaders of laughter
from eight to
eighty
architect of toys
construct of avenues
for strutting in the nude
imagine? Only you
and, me . . .
2.
from the
geometrix--
long, light and love:
absence
of darkness--
in light's mathematics:
Tall, lean
acute of angle!
like lost first love.
3.
from exponents of love
her Z's and X's
marked no exit!
extreme &
supreme: shape-
exponentially
angle of the first kiss,
X minus Y to the ninth
power, again & again
whoever can solve her?
4.
A face whose algebras
and parables apparently
like lost apparel, fading
as if A plus B's
less than was or
may ever, ever be?
I knew you, just as you
knew me, all my geometry
x minus y, pleading as if
my hypotenuse
falling in love
with you--too breeZy?
as how, now in cosine years
exponents traded for opponents
Where are we? Whose angle's tipping?
Who's sipping too
many martinis--
diagramming with zeroes?
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